iPhone 14: you can now make emergency calls by satellite in France

One of the features exclusive to the iPhone 14, allowing you to make satellite calls in so-called “white” areas, is finally accessible from France. You don’t have to worry anymore if you want to go camping in remote areas.

With its iPhone 14, Apple has introduced a feature allowing you to connect your smartphone to a satellite to alert emergency services in the event of an accident in areas without a network or Wi-Fi. Since its launch in North America in mid-November, the emergency calls feature has already saved a man in the Far North. We were therefore impatiently awaiting it in France, Apple promising that it would be deployed before the end of the year here.

Good news for all iPhone 14 owners, since 11 a.m. today, emergency calls can now be made from Francebut also from the UK, Germany and Ireland.

Your iPhone 14 can now call for help via satellite

The satellite connectivity feature is only intended for use in an emergency. You cannot freely send messages to your friends or family as a replacement for SMS. So if you’re in trouble, the new feature provides a way to contact emergency services and alert emergency contact persons, as long as you can get a clear view of the sky.

If you’re outside in an area with no cellular coverage, just point your iPhone 14 at the sky. Apple has built in software that knows exactly where the satellites are and can show you onscreen where you need to point.

A brief questionnaire will appear to help the user answer essential questions in just a few clicks. This questionnaire is transmitted to the dispatchers in the initial message, so that they are able to quickly understand the situation and the location of the user. They will therefore theoretically be aware of your situation when you are in communication with the emergency services.

Furthermore, you can also share your current location in locate app using satellite. For example, if you’re going on a nature hike, you can use the satellite connection to update your location and let your family know you’ve arrived. All iPhone 14 users running iOS 16.1 should now have access to the feature, and we remind you that its use is free for two years.